


Waking Dreams

by dorkpatroller



Category: Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff, Post Game, Sick Fic, no deep realms
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-06
Updated: 2020-02-06
Packaged: 2021-02-28 05:20:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,175
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22588561
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dorkpatroller/pseuds/dorkpatroller
Summary: Niles is feeling a little under the weather, but it gives him plenty of time to think about how much he loves his little family.
Relationships: Felicia/Zero | Niles
Comments: 2
Kudos: 15





	Waking Dreams

**Author's Note:**

> For Eli.

She presses the back of her hand against his forehead, and then it slides down the side of his face--catching on some stubble from two days of being too weak to get up and shave. He’s not dying by any means, he’s just in bed with a fever. In fact, being trapped in bed like this has Niles on edge. He goes stir crazy quickly. He’s not helping Leo by laying around in bed. He’s not helping  _ anyone.  _ He’d like to say he has the authority or energy to get up and go about his day. He doesn’t have the energy at all, his poor wife has had to help him eat! He doesn’t have the authority either. When he’s ill, Felicia’s word is law. 

“Still warm,” She says, and her fingertips move to push his hair behind his ear. Her magic is frigid but it feels tender and calm against his face. “Not nearly as bad. How are you feeling?” 

She’s seated beside him, bent gently at her waist to lean over and press a gentle kiss on his forehead. She’s an angel too good for him, but he won’t ever refuse her company. “Mm fine,” he says. He lies. She nods her head, accepting the lie for what it’s worth. She moves her hand from his face and trails it down his arm until she can hold his hand in hers. 

He doesn’t have any grasp on what time it is or what day it is. He’s been in and out of naps for a while now. He must be alright for Felicia not to have called for a doctor. “She misses you,” Felicia mumbles under her breath. Niles almost doesn’t hear it, he’s tempted to fall back into a nap, lulled by her comfort. But he does hear it, just on the edges of his mind, and he thinks he hears it in his heart too. He misses her too. He told Nina not to come in here because he was sick, and she’s just a little girl. She’d catch it right away. Felicia agreed with him, but now maybe she’s breaking down. “I think if she only stayed a moment, and she was careful to wash her hands…” 

A rumbly laugh bubbles up his throat, the most pitiful noise he’s made all day but he can see the smile it puts on her face, too. Felicia sits back, stands up, and starts towards the bedroom door. “She may be just the right medicine.” 

Niles almost dozes off again, because he feels like he’s being startled awake when Nina crawls onto the bed. She’s two. She has big, bright blue eyes and her hair is soft and the color of Felicia’s and pulled into two short, puffy pigtails. He loves her so much. More than he ever thought he could love anyone, he would move mountains for this chubby little monster. She climbs over his stomach--ah, it’s a touch tender--and then she lays down on his chest with her cheek squished against his collarbone. “Hi daddy,” she says through her smooshed mouth. 

Niles settles his hand on her back and hums. “Hi baby,” He answers softly. He draws his fingers along her back. Felicia settles down to sit at the end of the bed, supervising. He’s not sure if she’s supervising Niles or Nina, but she keeps a gentle smile on her pretty, pink lips. 

He could die like this. He won’t die--he’s not dying--but the thought crosses his mind. With Felicia smiling at him with all the love she has to give, and with his daughter cuddled up against him because she couldn’t bear to be away from her father any longer… he could die happy. It’s a wonder to think about. Not that many years ago he would argue that happily ever after was a fool’s dream. Now he’s fairly certain he’s living it. 

Nina doesn’t squirm much, she just lays on top of him like a little weight. It’s uncomfortable at first, it makes him want to cough, but he holds it in and eventually, the weight becomes comforting. Grounding. He wants to talk to her but words barely come to him, and she’s so quiet too. He worries she might be getting sick, but eventually, he hears a little snore and he can’t help the chuckle at his lips. Silly girl. She clearly needed a pillow more than she needed her father. 

It warms him up with pride that she wanted to sleep here with him, though. It makes him happy that she trusts him, she loves him, she feels completely safe falling asleep in his arms. Felicia is the same way, she never seems afraid. She never worries she’ll wake up alone. 

He never worries he’ll wake up alone either. 

“I should get her to bed,” Felicia admits after a few more minutes drag on. Niles might have been dozing again, but he hums to let her know he heard her. He uses his thumb to play with the end of Nina’s pigtail. 

“She can stay.” 

“You need your rest,” Felicia says. Niles knows she’s right, but he doesn’t want to let go of this moment. Even if he’s sick, he’s happy. He wants to cling to it, hang on tightly so it can’t possibly leave. Felicia’s expression turns soft, and before he knows it she’s crawling up to settle down on the bed beside him. She reaches out and pulls on Nina so she falls down gently onto the bed between them. “Go to sleep.” 

She’s beautiful. Her eyes closed gently, trying to convince herself to nap even though she’s perfectly healthy and it’s midday. She surely would like some time to herself just to relax. Nina is sleeping and Niles will be too. But she’s here at his side, willing to nap with him just for his benefit. Just so he can feel included and warm. 

He loves her so much it aches when he thinks about it.

He wants to prove it when he’s well again. He wants to pull her closer and kiss her forehead the way that makes her giggle and he wants to tell her she’s beautiful. He wants to go spend a little extra money on her favorite tea leaves. He wants to worship her in every sense of the word, because she’s so good to him, so good for him. He blinks his eye open when she lays her hand on his cheek. “Niles,  _ sleep.”  _

Yes, he should sleep. The sooner he does, perhaps, the sooner he’ll be well again. He can take care of his duties, spoil his wife, toss Nina in the air and make her giggle until she cries. He closes his eye again but turns onto his side so he can drape his arm past Nina and over Felicia too. He’ll sleep because he hates being sick. And, of course, because disobeying his wife is rarely an option. “G’night, luv,” He murmurs softly. He lets himself drift off to sleep.


End file.
